Rail-brace.



JOHN O. MORRIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAIL-BRACE $pecification of Letters Patent. V

PetentedJune 15. 1909.

Application filed January 12, 1907. Serial No. 351,943.

To all whom it concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN O. Mortars, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illi- 1101s, have invented certain" new and useful 1m )rovements in Rail-Braces, of which the follbwing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing. My invention relates to improvements in rail braces and consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter des ribed and then pointed out in. the claim.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a device embodyin my invention shown in position with a rai "and cross-tie, Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the brace shown in Fig. 1; Fi 3 is a bottom plan View of the same; an Fig. 4 is a view of the same in front elevation.

Like figures refer toi the same parts throughout the drawing, in which 5 designates arail withwhich; my improved brace is shdwn. The brace consists of a base 6 and a body 7, the base being substantially semi-circular in outline and stepped-up as at 8 to form thickened portions 9 at its straight edge upon either side of the body. '-The thickened or reinforced portions extend in upwardly directed flanges 10 and 11 which taper inwardly and merge into the sides of the body, as clearly shown in the drawing, the flanges being of less thickness or depth than the portions 9 and thereby providing shoulders 12 which abut arely against the edges of the rail bases s u lie shoulders and flanges provide seats to receive the rail base, in which the shoulders abut against the edge of the base and the flanges rest upon the upper portion, or face of the base for a short distance, all as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Thebase is provided with spike-holes 13, one of which is located in each of the thickened portions 9 and in sin h relation to the corresponding shoulder 12 that it is open at one side along the line of the shoulder so that when a spike 14 is driven into the cross-tie 15 the side of the spike will bear against the edge of the rail base and the head of the spike will bear upon those portions of the flanges which in turn bear upon the rail base, clearly shown in Fig. 1 By this construction the sides of the spikes bear directly against the edges of the rail base and are in alinement with the shoulders to make an extended bearing for the base, while their heads overlie the base, so that both the latoral and vertical strains of the rail base are directly opposed by the spikes theinselves'in the first instance thus relieving the brace to a very considerable extent.

The body of the brace is integral with the base, the whole being constructed of any suitable material, such as malleable iron. The body is composed of sides 16, a back 17 and a top 18, the body bein hollo v on the side toward the rail and the ack being corrugated to form longitudinal ribs 19. In the present instance two such ribs are shown, one at each side of the back, so that the face of the back is concave and allows the head of the outer spike to rest 'upon the base plate between the ribs it is of course understood that the number'of ribs may be increased and that the spike hole may be set back if do sired. The upper end of the back 'n'ojects above the plane of the top as at 20 and with the top forms a top-shoulder which rests against and under the head of the rail, as shown in Fig. l-. The rear edges of the sides engage the Web of the rail at their tops, and,

then curve 'away merging into the line of curvature of the flanges.

The thrust of the rail is a 'iproxiniatcly in the-line of the body of the brace, and by providing the body with ribs it possesses greater strength and resistance due to the corrugated effect produced thereby.

Having described my invention what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- A rail brace comprising a substantiaily semi-circular base having a spike-hole, a body having sides and a back channeled out on its front face to form ribs in the line of the thrust of the rail, the base having a thickened portion on each side of the body pro vidcd with a spike hole, flanges extending from and of less depth than the thickened portions to form shoulders and merging into the sidcs of the body and adapted to rest upon the raibbase, the llangcs being alincd with the inner sides of the spike-bales, whereby the sides of the spikcsbcar againstthe rail-base and the heads of the spikes overlie the base, and a top-shoulder on the body In testimony whereof I afiix my signature ada ted to 1rest agaiilst ml dlunder thg hem} in preselice'of twe witnesses. 0ft emil he rear er eso txe sic es as, ten to engage the web of the rail at their ops JOHN MORRIb' 5 and then curve away from the Web at a point Witnesses:

about midway its length and merge into the ELIZABETH MOL1'1'0R line of curvature pf the flanges. C. G. McRuBER'rs. 

